Beet the sugar

So in a time gone by, when mass farming, production and processing of our foods wasn't centralised to one area, when foods were not highly refined,....there was sugar beets, beta vulgaris var altissima.  


The desire for sweetness is an inbuilt one in humans, an innate understanding that sugar = energy in the form of simple carbohydrates, once broken down provide fuel for all the cells in the body.  (interestingly most big food companies know that, and that's why you find sugar as the main ingredient in most foods, even savoury ones.)

In the 18th century, scientists found that root vegetables, in particular sugar beet were sweet as 'sugar'. By mid 19th century most of the sugar in Europe was produced using beetroot.  Even Melbourne had a go, constructing a railway from St Kilda to Oakleigh that was to be dedicated to sugar beet production, finally Maffra in Victoria's east was the production mecca, that was until 1948.

Now most of our sugar (sugar cane) comes from South America, in particular Brazil with no commercial quantities of organic sugar any longer being farmed in Australia.  All of the commercial agave coming in from Mexico.  Sugar beets are still grown commercially, and Genetically Modified crops have been approved for cultivation...ouch.Why not make your sweetener at home??  Get local, get organic and get cooking....

Step 1.  Grow your own, we will have the organic sugar beet seeds available soon.(Organic Empire).
Step 2.  Plant in early spring and harvest in autumn.
Step 3. Add the leaves to your salad.
Step 4. Wash and chop, slice or grate beetroots finely.
Step 5. Cover with water and simmer till soft and tender, this is usually around 30 mins.
Step 6.  Strain beetroots and RETAIN the water, this is your sugar syrup.  Do not discard the beetroots instead using in a salad or for preserving.
Step 7. Return the beetroot water to the stove and simmer till liquid thickens up and produces the syrup.  Remove from the heat.
Step 8. Cool then place in a container.  This beetroot juice/syrup over time will then crystallise just like honey does.  As this process occurs its important to break them up and over time forming sugar crystals. Or you can further reduce syrup so that this process is sped up, and this is done by cooking for longer until the crystals begin to appear.

NB You can just use from Step 7 as a sweetener in a syrup form.

100kg fresh sugar beet can give 12 - 15kg sucrose, 3.5kg molasses, 4.5kg dried pulp and varying amounts of filter cake.

Bearing in mind that even though this sugar is made from beetroot, its still a sugar just like any other sweetener and has the same effect on the human body, raising blood glucose, providing simple pure carbohydrate to our bodies... this is not the best, so like everything in life use in moderation.

Thanks to Lorri for opening up the conversation.



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Just don't tell them its HEALTHY

The lunchbox is always a bone of contention in our household. Wars are waged daily over it, why didn't you eat that? You need to eat that ?... So in desperation, I have needed to become a little more creative in my lunch box culinary ventures, which is always a bit challenging when you wake up 15 mins before the kids need to go to school. Nutrition is the forefront of my food preparation, so not only does the food need to look good, and taste good, but it has to be good. Eating organic is a great start, but not all organic packaged foods are healthy foods. So for me, its most important that my kids get as many fresh real foods into them.


So everyday, the lunchbox is broken up into 4 sections, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea and snacks.

VEGETABLES: Lunchboxes are a great opportunity to get kids eating vegetables. Cut them as creative as you can. Stars, suns, flowers, swords, call them what you will, just make sure you dont call them vegetables. Kids love to dip, so add some dip, maybe some hommus, some tzatzki, or pesto. Package in small, kid friendly containers. Try carrots (cut up), corn, raw off the cob (its pirates gold in our house), cucumber, cherry tomatoes, celery etc.

FRUITS: Every child has their favourite fruit, so be sure to include at least one of these daily in their lunch box. If you can, chop these up, make it easier for their little hands to enjoy. I swear fruit always tastes better when someone has cut it up. Make a fruit salad, cut the orange into rounds, apples into stars.

PROTEINS: We always pack a small container of nuts, depending on what we have in the house, we usually do a trail kind of mix, we mix almonds, sunflower seeds, dried fruits, apricots, etc.

CARBOHYDRATES: Some sandwich ideas, call them crazy names:

Far far away felafel's
Cut a pitta in half, spread with cream cheese, hummus and baba ghanouj, add thinly sliced cucumbers and tomato and if you can a falafel.

You are nuts
Spread cashew or almond paste on the inside of a pita. Add fresh sliced pear (dip into some lemon water to prevent browning) or use a sugar free jam.

Orange Nut
Raw Nut butter** and grated carrot.



You get the idea, use the ideas below and make up your own names, that you kids would find funny.

Avocado, bean sprouts and tomato
Baked beans (drained) and grated low fat cheese
Bananas mashed with ricotta cheese
Chopped egg, lettuce
Hummus, sliced tomato and sprouts
Cream cheese, grated carrot and sultanas
Cheese, pineapple and lettuce
Peanut butter and honey
Peanut butter lightly spread, topped with chopped dried fruit (apricots and sultanas)
Tabouli salad, lettuce and fetta cheese


WATER: Sweet hydration, is so important for every body.


I think its paramount to be creative in all your endeavours with kids, allow them to be involved where you can and give them a passion for good food.

Kids love making their own food, so encourage them where you can, a  burrito or a pita pocket they make themselves can be a fun and healthy lunch option. Prepare shredded vegetables, sauce, and let the kids assemble their own lunch at school. You control what goes in it and they choose what they like!
Kids love surprises, so I try to include something that will surprise them in their lunchbox, so that they look forward to opening it. This might be a note on their paper bag, or a 'treat', like some cranberries with raw cashews (sooo good). If these don't appeal to your child, you will know what does.
Make some muffins, some healthy biscuits

Try to mix things up a bit, use different breads (avoiding white breads, where possible), expose them to different flavours, different packaging and hopefully you'll get different results.

**Place nuts of choice in a blender and grind till a butter like consistency is formed

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